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Welcome To WIA UK

WIA UK was founded in 1960 by Her Excellency Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Sister of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It was conceptualised at the home of the Indian High Commissioner, at Kensington Palace Gardens, London. Since inception, it has been a tradition that the spouse of the High Commissioner of India to be Patron of the WIA.

At that time, the main objectives of the WIA were to strengthen ties between Britain and India and Indians in Britain. Young students coming to the UK were provided with support and links to British and local Indian families by the WIA.

In July 1981 the WIA was registered as Charity, raising funds for projects that reflect the ethos of empowering the women and children and is in the 57th year of continuous service to the Community. In addition, the WIA has taken on a holistic approach to support the homeless and disadvantaged.

The WIA currently supports 9 projects in India and 4 in the UK. With a membership of over 500 ladies in London, the WIA continues its commitment to empowering women and children through education, rehabilitation, life skills and social welfare.

Our Mission Statement

To empower socially and economically disadvantaged sections of society to reach their full potential through education. WIA primarily supports projects that help participants acquire or upgrade skills and education, be it technical, vocational or entrepreneurial, all aimed at income generation. Some of the other projects we support are a by-product of these like, rehabilitation, maternal health care and child nutrition. In addition we assist disaster relief operations by collaborating with charities working in disaster stricken areas around the globe.

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Why WIA ?

WIA is the oldest Indian Charitable Organisation in the UK. It has a long history of commitment to the mission set out by its founder and every Chairperson has striven to uphold the ideals that it embodies. The Committee members all work for the WIA on an Honorary basis and the work is done with diligence. Almost the entire funds collected are disbursed to the charities that are supported at that time with a minimum of overhead costs.

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Why is the WIA undertaking this?

With the mission goals in mind, the WIA raises funds which are disbursed to the charities that engage in such activities.

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How can I donate?

India’s Hope

Children are the future as we know. In order for us to achieve our place among the developed nations of the world, we must aim to educate as many children as possible. In India we have unfortunately found that education for the girl child has been neglected. WIA is committed to facilitating a change in this area.

To my dear friends and fellow members,

Welcome to the Women’s India Association of the United Kingdom, more fondly known as “the WIA”.

Over the past 57 years, the friends and members of WIA have worked earnestly to follow the footsteps of its founder, Her Excellency Mrs. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. With her blessings, the unshakeable resilience of its members and your kind donations, the WIA has pioneered a variety of truly incredible initiatives to assist the underprivileged and to touch the lives of thousands of persons across the globe. Throughout the years, the WIA has spearheaded projects which range from the provision of medical and dental care to financially challenged communities to the distribution of meals to the homeless. The WIA has also developed a niche area of pioneering projects, which promote education and socio-economic empowerment for disadvantaged women and children. The WIA has been a dynamic organization and I am excited about the years to come, where the WIA will continue to pioneer new projects in fulfilling its commitment to meet the needs of the less fortunate around the world.

As I take over the Chairpersonship of this WIA, I am really excited about the next 2 years and I am sure that you are too. I am counting on the help and support of my Vice Chair Aseela Goenka and all of you my friends in forging ahead with the great work all my predecessors have so diligently worked – In the words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success”

Please keep in touch with us to learn about our forthcoming events as well as volunteering opportunities. We have a facebook page up and running, we will shortly be setting up a Instagram page and I encourage you to also join our mailing list by entering your e-mail address on the website. Of course, you can always e-mail me at pooja@wiauk.org

No one has become poor by giving, I would like for you all to dig deep in your wallets and keep up the wonderful work we have been doing so far.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Pooja Nayak

Chairperson

Hello Members and Friends of the WIA,

I am so happy to be part of this organisation, which has such commitment to supporting our fellow Indians. While the causes of women and children, especially the girl child, are very dear to my heart, I am equally concerned with the plight of the sick, underprivileged and needy. When I see how the most basic of human rights, amenities and services are a luxury for so many people, I feel we must all work towards changing those very numbers.

I am certain that along with your support and the sincere efforts of our Chairperson Pooja Nayak we will be able to make a difference in many lives. I urge you all to support the WIA in every way that you can. When you see how far every little bit goes you will be amazed and I can assure you that I will do my very best to work towards making sure that as many lives I touch are happier and more empowered altogether.

Sincerely yours,

Aseela Goenka
Vice Chairperson

Dear Member and Friend,

Thank you for the overwhelming support WIA has received for the last fifty-seven years. It is through your generosity that we are able to continue to offer vulnerable women and children OPPORTUNITIES. Opportunities to become self-sufficient and financially independent. In order to minimize disparities and improve social justice for women, adequate opportunities need to be provided to equip them with competencies to raise their levels of income. Our task is to make that possible. We primarily run projects that help participants acquire or upgrade skills, be it technical, vocational or entrepreneurial, all aimed at income generation. We take a holistic view of a community and therefore, some of the other projects we support are a by-product of these like, maternal health care, child nutrition and facilitating microfinance. Last year, I visited some of our projects and spent time talking to our beneficiaries. Mostly, I asked them why they enrolled in our programme.

Tayyab said, “I am a student of class 5. We are seven brothers and two sisters. My mother runs a tea stall to support my brothers, sisters and me. My dream is to be educated. And to wipe off tears from my mother’s face.”

Bushra said, “I was married off at a young age to a man who is mentally challenged. We had no source of income. l was determined to change this. I joined the sowing class and slowly my skill and my confidence increased. I now sow and sell quilts, which enables me to run my household and send my children to school. My life is transformed by MAGIC.” At WIA, we have no paid employees or trustees. Every single person works on a voluntary basis! So, what drives us? What drives us is the powerful notion that we CAN make a difference! We hope that our energy and passion is shared by like-minded people like you. A lot of the magic we create comes from you. We are able to continue our commitment to Tayyab and Bushra, and much more like them, because of YOU. So, please take a look at our various projects, and click on the “DONATE NOW” button, to empower more women and children. YOU are the reason women and children continue to have hope. Should you require any further information, or would like to get more involved with Women’s India Association, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you in advance for your Support!

Sincerely,

Anita Martins

Chairperson

Why Women & Children ?

Team members in London had pledged to support the Barclays HeForShe campaign. HeForShe is a United Nations’ global campaign to engage one billion men in the advancement of women’s rights as part of UN Women’s awareness efforts. To summarize one of the five ways to show support for the HeForShe campaign is to support a women’s charity to commit to helping promote gender equality and contribute to community investment.

We strive for a better society

You need to help us change the way children and women in India survive. Let’s stop the discussion about survival and focus on life instead! Help us help them make a better life and a future for them and entire country as a whole !